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The Ducks’ Francois Beauchemin, left, and Andrew Cogliano react after Ryan Kesler, not pictured, scored what proved to be the decisive goal in the third period of a 2-1 victory over the rival Kings on Friday night at Honda Center. (Photo by Matt Masin, Orange County Register, SCNG)

ANAHEIM — They entered Friday separated by just two points in the standings and even less in real life.

In fact, that tiny cubicle between the benches at Honda Center – the space not even half the size of a regulation penalty box – is a relative canyon when it’s dividing the Ducks from the Kings. And vice versa.

For the second time in six days, the rivals shared the same shrinking ice surface for the Ducks’ 2-1 win, their previous gathering still as fresh as the bruises from what just unfolded at Staples Center.

It really is hard to overstate how tight – that’s tight physically, not spiritually – two teams are when they keep trying to grab each other by the Adam’s apple and squeeze as hard as possible.

“The emotions get high against these guys,” Ducks captain Ryan Getzlaf confirmed, unnecessarily. “But I don’t know if you’re going to see three fights in the first three seconds again.”

He was exaggerating, of course, just not by as much as you might think. The three fights last Saturday occurred in the first three minutes and all in the span of four seconds.

Other than that, it was just a regular Ducks-Kings game, one built on the traditional foundation of balled-up hands and raging anger.

What this rivalry didn’t need is more passion, more juice. But that’s exactly what Friday brought, Andrew Cogliano returning after serving one of the most ridiculous, maddening and significant suspensions in NHL history.

The Ducks forward, who spent 830 consecutive games and 10½ seasons doing everything to promote what’s good about the league, strangely was treated like just another thug by those running it.

He was benched by the NHL for two games – the first Cogliano has missed in his career – because of a hit on Kings forward Adrian Kempe. The check was late and high. But the suspension was harsh and unwarranted.

If this league ever has had a player worthy of receiving any benefit of the doubt, that player is Cogliano, who previously never had been punished with anything more than an on-ice penalty.

The hit on Kempe, though no doubt illegal, left room for obvious questions concerning intent and the circumstances that led to it being higher than is permitted. The league apparently felt otherwise, to its own detriment.

Here’s a guy who showed up for every game, game after game after game, during an era when NBA players regularly are rested and NHL players face nightly dangers that could disable the most iron of men.

The fact George Parros, one of the most popular players in Ducks history, is now the head of the NHL’s Player Safety Department, made Cogliano’s suspension all the more ironic and locally bitter.

Several signs in Honda Center on Friday saluted Cogliano’s return and questioned Parros’ wisdom, many Ducks fans, as a means of gaining revenge, in favor of setting fire to Parros’ famous mustache.

One fan did the next most dramatic thing, torching one of Parros’ old Ducks jerseys and posting the ceremony on social media.

Midway through the first period, the Ducks recognized Cogliano’s streak with a video that lifted many in the building out of their seats, including team owners Henry and Susan Samueli.

On the bench, Cogliano, who had an assist, removed one of his gloves and raised his hand to acknowledge the cheers, a class act personified.

It was appropriate, naturally, that very little again separated two teams that, entering Friday, had seen 15 of their previous 22 meetings decided by one measly goal.

So the rivalry resumed here, 30 miles or so from where it resumed just last weekend, the Ducks and Kings now going until March 30 before facing each other next.

When you’re living this close together, that date will come soon enough, the extended time apart making up for all the space that generally doesn’t exist between these two.

“We see them way too much for them to throw a curveball at us,” Ducks forward Chris Wagner said. “I’m sure they feel the same way about us.”

Asked how, at this point, the Ducks or Kings could surprise one another during a game, Getzlaf smiled and said, “Not show up?”

There was no chance of that happening Friday, everyone arriving right on time, including Andrew Cogliano, his new consecutive games streak at one, but his old ironman self still intact.

Jeff Miller has been a sports columnist since 1998, having previously written for the Palm Beach Post, South Florida Sun-Sentinel and Miami Herald. He began at the Register in 1995 as beat writer for the Angels.